Theater
by WritingSoul
Summary: It's all an act - and Goro's set out to play his part. Even if that means dying in front of his boyfriends. rry." The whole world's a stage, and Goro's just another actor. [Yusuke/Akira/Goro] SPOILERS!


_He doesn't want to do this._

That's his only thought as he walks towards the interrogation room. His hands are quivering, but he's walking. Walking. Keep… walking.

He's walking by Sae now - and she's saying something to him as he responds, facade never wavering.

It's not allowed to.

He's not aware of words that leave his lips - or the expression on his face, but he knows his body and subconscious have been trained to play this part.

He's not aware of how long they talk, but he's aware of the familiar shifting in his gut as he's taken to the metaverse. He perks up, his thoughts hopeful. They've planned against him. He doesn't have to kill Akira.

 _He doesn't have to kill Akira._

The thought is enough to make him sigh a bit more heavily than he's supposed to, even as he mutters something about Sae being foolish. He knows _someone's_ watching. He's an associate of Shido. Someone is always watching.

The closer he gets to the room, the more he wants to turn around and flee. He doesn't want to kill - faux kill - one of his boyfriends. He doesn't want to create that rift. Yusuke is already mad at him - he knows the phantom thieves have found out his act.

" _Upset one and then kill the other? Great idea."_ Loki purred in his mind. He shook his head, scowling. No, he wasn't killing one of them. He was simply playing his part.

Playing his part.

Playing his part.

When hadn't he been playing his part? He hadn't when he'd been with Akira and Yusuke, that was for sure. How long had it been, now? 3 months? Yusuke and Akira had integrated him into their relationship after he had expressed that he shared their feelings.

He'd loved every second of it. Cuddles in Leblanc's attic, stolen kisses behind corners, tears and shared comforts. They hadn't known it was him causing the mental collapses - not until he was tasked to join the thieves.

The three of them hadn't met up since then.

And now? He was about to try and kill one of room was dark, damp, and musty. His eyes caught on Akira, bruised and bloody. His clothes also seemed to be a bit damp - torn and in disarray. Every inch of him was bruised, bloody and battered. It killed him.

No, this was shadow Akira, but the real version of him wasn't far off. He was sure of that. Any injuries sustained in the metaverse can show on your body, so why wouldn't it be the other way around?

He could only watch dimly as his hands moved, taking the gun from the guard and attaching the silencer. He fired, watching as the guard's body fell to the ground. Faux Akira's eyes were wide - watching him with disbelief and heartbreak.

His facade dropped for a moment, eyes changing from having an insane expression to a caring one. "I'm sorry." He murmurs. And then his facade takes over, and he presses the gun against his head.

The trigger's pulled.

Blood runs down and around his face, spreading out as he falls forward onto the table. It makes him want to get sick, bile rising in the back of his throat. It comes into his mouth, but he's still smiling, lips pressed together. He takes off the silencer, and places the gun in his hand.

 _Suicide._

That's what they'll report tomorrow. The leader of the phantom thieves has killed himself.

They won't find the body; Sae will have him snuck out before then. But they will take Shido's word of mouth for it. That's just how much power he has.

What a formidable ally.

Perhaps….the simple fact that _anyone_ would believe him and the fact that he could be anything was why Goro had grouped up with him

Perhaps that's why he was so scared.

Goro's body moves him out of the room, and rushes him to the nearest restroom, where he throws up his lunch. Once he's done, he wipes his mouth, cleaning himself up. The boy stops for a minute, looking at himself in the mirror. His white-knuckled hands grip the countertop as if that is the only thing keeping him up.

He's fine. He's doing this to himself.

He has a part to play.

The rest of the world is just a theatre.

* * *

Once he's home, he wants to cry. Wants to sob, even. But he doesn't. He cleans himself up, eats something, and tries to go to sleep. His limbs are heavy as he lays in the bed, and he can't bring himself to move anymore. Should he get up tomorrow? He doesn't think so. His throat closes as his body threatens to let his tears fall.

He doesn't sleep.

The image of Akira dead on that table is seared into the backs of his eyelids.

* * *

The next time he sees Akira, they're in the metaverse. Shido's palace. How ironic. The only two things keeping him afloat are out to sink a ship. And they're fighting him, of all people. He and Yusuke look at the third member of their relationship with distrust. He is here to stop them, after all. They're confused, in denial, left without any trust toward him. Just as they should be.

What was a lie; and what wasn't?

Were his feelings real; or was he living a fantasy?

Does he want to kill them all; or does he want to give up?

They launch into a battle after Morgana proclaims that he and Akira are just like one another. The statement creates a familiar burning behind his eyes, but he summons his persona to mask it. His voice doesn't crack - doesn't waver.

He wants it to. He doesn't want to do this. He wants to show weakness so they'll know he doesn't want this.

Most of him doesn't. But another, more twisted part of him is screaming at him to kill them all. _Loki._

The battle starts, and he's overwhelmed. It's too much. They're too much. Akira comes at him with various skills, Yusuke with ice and physical. Makoto uses Nuclear spells when she's not healing them all, and Ann's casting fire left and right. The other thieves are ready to spring at him at any given moment.

 _Physical._ Where his physical contact had been welcomed once, Yusuke cringes away from it now - from him. His chest constricts.

" _Give in to them, my boy."_ Robin Hood urges him. His throat constricts.

If he gives in - he'll be much worse off than dead. Much, _much_ worse. He can't have that - can't go through that.

He ignores Robin Hood, but he's in control of his actions, and he's going easy on them.

They've got him cornered, and he knows it. The battle stops, and suddenly, he's lashing out, throwing a temper tantrum like a small child. The boy is telling them only things that Akira and Yusuke had known - some of it new information to even them. He's no longer in possession of himself - the fear of what Shido could do to him pushing him to bring out Loki.

He has no control of his limbs, his mouth, his mind. He only has his thoughts.

A sad, lonely boy alone with his thoughts.

The realization comes over them - the realization that he killed Okumura, the realization that he's been faking it this entire time. He's been selfish. They know that now.

Akira - who had just been pleading for him to stop, falls silent. Yusuke looks at him with nothing but venom - and he knows Akira will surely follow his boyfriend.

" _Give in to me."_ Loki commands.

And like the obedient little child he still is - he lets madness take him over. Akira and Yusuke may die here - but they'll die together.

It's like falling asleep. The next thing he knows, his whole body hurts and he's pulling himself up off of the ground.

Akechi finds that he's speaking from his heart - wounded and alone. They're saying such nice words - but Yusuke isn't. It's deep, cruel, unforgiving. He winces.

Ann's kind and warm, asking if he wants to join them for real this time. Akira smiles, nodding along with her.

The word yes forms on his tongue, but the deeper, darker, more bitter part of him speaks instead. And as it does, the cat looks at something behind him. He looks back, too, and finds that he's staring the cognitive version of himself. He does know that Yusuke exclaims out in shock and panic - the familiar comforting tones he remembers hearing on nights everything is especially bad. It almost makes him smile.

He doesn't remember much of the exchange after that - the information is nothing new to him. He knows Shido had planned to kill him - embraced it, in fact. He accepted it with open arms.

After all, who could live with all of this?

He does know, however, that they're on the other side of that bulkhead seal, should things come to that. The cognitive version has a gun trained on his head.

If he dies here - he won't have to go back and live with _this._

It would be a mercy.

It would be too good to be true.

He chuckles, pulling out his gun as he rises to his feet. "I was such a fool."

The cognitive version of himself is purring in his ear, telling him that this is the Goro his master wishes to see.

Goro chuckles, embracing the fact that this is where he'll die. No more sunlight. No more Yusuke and Akira. No more of those sweet cuddles or kisses.

But, with that comes stopping himself. Stopping this pain. "...Don't misunderstand." He shouts, shooting his cognitive self and then firing at the switch that locks the bulkhead.

They're safe.  
They're safe.

Too late, Akira and Yusuke realize what's happening, identical cries of "No!" coming from them. They reach out, but recoil as the bulkhead door slams shut.

He can hear Sakamoto banging on the door as he loads his gun again, pointing it at his doppleganger. Cognitive Akechi rises, pointing the gun at his stomach.

"Hurry up, and go!" He shouts.

"You fool! Are you trying to get yourself killed?" Yusuke shouts, panic in every inch of his tone.

The gun is silenced as cognitive Akechi fires first, his bullet hitting home.

He's going to die.

"The real fools..are you guys. You should have abandoned me here a long time ago. You would have all perished...if you tried to face these things with me weighing you down."

He coughs harshly, blood coming up. Makoto rushes forward. "Akechi-kun!" She cries.

"Akira...let's make a deal, ok? You won't say no, will you?"

"Why at a time like this?!" Yusuke cries. Goro can't see it, but he knows Akira's shifted to the wall, resting his head against it. Yusuke steps forward with him.

"Whatever you want, dear." He speaks softly, soothingly.  
That line - he'd teased Goro with it several times. His mind flashes through the memories, causing a couple tears to slip down his cheeks.

He ignores the comment from Yusuke, however. "Change Shido's heart...in my stead. And end his crimes. Please…!"

"Of course." Akira responds just as softly as he had done previously.

"Good. And what the cat said, about everything being fake? That was wrong. All of me loved the two of you. Nothing was ever fake."

"Goro, don't do this!" Akira cries, voice going from a soft whisper to a hysterical yell. Goro bites his lips, looking up at the ceiling as more tears fall. He's leaned up against the bulkhead of the door.

"I loved you both. So much. Please, take care of eachother. Stay together."

"Goro.." Yusuke's breathless.

"I'm...sorry." Goro pants. It's hard to breathe.

"Stay with us!" Akira shouts, voice thick. He's crying.

"I love you two."

His final breath leaves his lips, and darkness consumes a hold of him.

This is the theatre; but he's played his part.

There are no encores.

* * *

On the other side of the bulkhead, Yusuke pounds on it. "Goro, answer us!" Their faces are wet with tears, but Akira's gloved hand gently departs from its place on the door like a butterfly taking off from a leaf. He catches Yusuke's hand as he reels it back to hit the door.

"His signal is...gone." Oracle confirms, her voice the only one standing out to the two.

"No, he can't be…! He can't-"

Akira pulls him into a hug. "He's gone."

Yusuke breaks.

This life is a theatre, but it's not filled with joy all of the time.

No, sometimes your role has you losing the people you love most.

* * *

 **so my friend requested angst**

 **i might redo this**

 **but i did this so it's a thing**

 **oops**

 **i love my kids but angst is good**

 **anyway, maybe leave a review or comment? it helps loads more than you'd think!**


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